CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE RETURN
Shen Chen returned to the Shen Clan compound a week later.
He was a ghost of his forr self, his body thin and haggard, his face lined with exhaustion. His wounds had healed, but the scars were fresh, their marks visible on his skin.
This is stupid. They'll never help . They'll never—
He pushed open the gates of the compound and walked inside.
The compound was quiet. Too quiet. The servants avoided his gaze, their heads bowed. The guards watched him with cold, suspicious eyes.
They know. They know I'm being hunted.
His father was in the main hall, surrounded by the clan elders. Their faces were grim, their expressions cold.
"Shen Chen," his father said, his voice flat. "You have returned."
Shen Chen bowed, his body aching with the effort. "Father. I need your help."
Silence. The elders exchanged glances, their eyes filled with sothing that might have been fear.
"The Li Clan has contacted us," his father said, his voice cold. "They have accused you of stealing from them. Of infiltrating their expedition. Of endangering the entire empire."
Shen Chen's heart sank. "Father, I can explain—"
"There is nothing to explain," his father interrupted. "You have brought sha upon this clan. You have endangered our position, our safety, our future."
"Please, Father. I just need ti. Ti to recover, to gather my strength. I can make this right."
His father's eyes were cold, empty. "You will leave this compound imdiately. You will never return. You are no longer a mber of this clan."
The words hit Shen Chen like a physical blow. He staggered backward, his vision swimming.
"Father, please—"
"You are not my son anymore," his father said, his voice as cold as the grave. "You are nothing."
Shen Chen stood in the center of the hall, his body trembling. The elders watched him with cold, pitying eyes. The servants pretended not to see.
They've given up on . They've always given up on .
He turned and walked out of the hall. No one stopped him. No one called after him.
I am nothing. I have nothing. I am alone.
---
Shen Chen walked through the streets of Azure Cloud City, his body numb with grief.
They threw away. They threw away like garbage, like I never mattered at all.
He had spent his entire life trying to prove himself, trying to be sothing more, trying to earn their approval. And in the end, it hadn't mattered. He was still worthless to them. Still nothing.
I should have died in that realm. It would have been better than this.
But even as the thought crossed his mind, he rejected it. He was still alive. He had resources, techniques, knowledge. He had the System. He had the Blazing Sovereign's fragnts.
I'll survive. I'll grow stronger. I'll prove them all wrong.
He moved through the city, his steps aimless. He had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. He was an exile, a fugitive, a ghost.
The Western Desolation. I'll go back to the Western Desolation. It's the only place where I can hide.
He left the city that night, his body thin and his heart heavy. The road ahead was long, filled with danger and uncertainty. But he had no other choice.
I'll survive. I'll grow stronger. And when I'm ready, I'll return.
---
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